hii am a frum mother of 5 who suffers from panic attacks i would like to find out if any one out there in the frum world is also suffering from panic attacks and what r u doing to get help.i went to my doc who prescribed me medicaition but i refuse to take it after i read the negetive side effects that it has.usuly what triggers a panic attack in me is stress and boy there r enough stress out there for me with raizing teens and there yeshivas and parnasah and everyday life.if anyone can offer me some good advice how to get rid or at least deal with these panic attacks it would be a great mitzvah.

Susan: I really want to help you, but this time I don't feel comfortable doing it on a public forum. Please provide me with your private e-mail address and I will write to you. Sarahe-mail: downsyndrome@earthlink.net

FYI: In cases like these, where you wish to exchange information but don't want it to show publicly, you can use the 'private message' feature by clicking on the icon in the upper right hand corner of each message (assuming that that user has enabled 'Allow Private Messages:' in their profile). They can then view their private messages by clicking the link shown below..

Susan,I don't have panic attacks. But I have depression now in remission. I am not a psychologist. But I suggest you get help. You ask if other people experience what you do. Of course they do! Its just that they dont talk about it! You have no need to be ashamed. Get help. but mot from your general practitioner. Go to a good psychiatrist and consider therapy. side affects are a concern. But good psychiatrist can help you moniter if you are experiencing them. If you get side affects they can try a new med untill yoy find one that doesn't give you side affects. I take 4 medicines and have no side affects. Don't suffer. Get help.

Ive suffered with anxiety which includes panic for a number of years.. This is excabated when I dont sleep well,then worry about not sleeping... I got it very bad after I had a baby.. I find that a combination of Zoloft and Klonopin works great for panic..Ive also heard that paxil is good...hope this helps..

there are many medications that have been proven to "work" for depression however there is no one medication that works for every-one. As a depression sufferer I have tried several medications and I personally have found Wellbutrin to be the most effective. Ask your doctor (preferably a psychiatrist) which medication best suits YOUR personal needs

I have been suffering from panic attacks and anxiety for the past three years. The craziest part is that one day I was fine and the next day I had my first panic attack leading to constant and extreme anxiety. Unfortunately my life, school/job was put on hold for about 6 months because of the intensity and I ahd to move bak home with my parents. Although recommended, I too have not wanted to use medication because of the side effects and also because I am afraid that I won't feel "normal". I have been seeing a psychologist throughout this time and the change in my life has been dramatic. For a short time I was seeing my psychologist as well as a cognitive behavioral therapist. The cognative therapist does not neccessarily deal with why you are anxious, but focuses more on how to change the behavior that leads to panic attacks. I learned how to stop a panic attack before it starts. It is really important to remember to breathe through it (although this may seem silly it does help). Try to breathe in and out through your stomach. Also, it is helpful to try to identify what it is that is causing that moment's panic. You might start to realize that you are attaching "danger" to a situation that is not really dangerous as a way for you to cope with where the real fear is (i.e. afraid of flying because you feel out of control) In my own experience I have found that I have started to panic about terrorism because I was starting a new job. Something really important to repeat to yourself is that a panic attack is NOT dangerous although it really does feel like it is. You will not die or lose your mind. You are not going crazy, your mind/body is finding a way to cope with overstimulation and runaway thoughts. My therapist recommended writing on an index card "Anxiety is not dangerous. It is uncomfortable, but it cannot hurt me." She recommened that I carry it with me and when I start to feel anxious take out the card and read it. ( I only used that technique for a short time and although it also seems like it couldn't help, it does help you understand that you will be okay once the anxiety passes).Another helpful technique (that I originally thought was completely dumb until I reluctantly tried it and it worked) is to keep a rubber band around your wrist and everytime you have an anxious thought snap the rubber band hard! You will see that after a few days the thought of the painful rubberband is enough to chase the anxious feeling away without physically snapping it.I find that a big part of anxiety is wondering and being nervous about the next panic attack (thank G-D that is a challange I no longer deal with). It is called anticipatory anxiety. This type of anxiety can be even worse that what the fear or problem actually is. Try to discover if you are nervous about getting nervous. Realize that facing the situation might be less scary than the reality that you have now created.Although I am not as anxiety free as I could be if I took medication, I am living my day to day life pretty normally. I got married, I have a job, and I can eat and sleep at night again. Although I thought my life was over, I do live most days without anxiety (I thought this could never happen) , but I do face little bursts. Thank G-D I haven't had a full blown panic attack in about 2 years. Unfortunately for many anxiety is lifelong battle. I pray for you as well as myself that we have the strenth to live strong.

You sound like you have a top notch psychologist who really taught you allot of coping skills. By the way, I know someone who had some panic attacks and he is 99.9% fine now. They have almost totally gone. And he didn't even get help.If you don't need medicine that is wonderful. Medicine is not something to be taken for no reason. But I just want to say that medicine does not necesarrily make you feal abnormal and does not necesarilly give you side affects. Every person reacts to various medicines differently.

There is a great book for people with anxiety/panic attacks. it is called "You are not Alone". also newly available in Yiddish; "A Yid is Kainmul nisht Alain". you can buy it in your local jewish book store.

QuoteOriginally posted by: BoosterThere is a great book for people with anxiety/panic attacks. it is called "You are not Alone". also newly available in Yiddish; "A Yid is Kainmul nisht Alain". you can buy it in your local jewish book store.

consider this great quote: Attitude determines Altitude!

Hatzlucha Rabba!

while it is true that attitude is important in dealing with mental health challanges, I disagree that a book about emuna is "a great book for people with anxiety/panic attacks." Panic attacks do not arise from a chisaron in emunah. Therefor, increased emuna is not the primary way of remmedying the cause of the panic. It is the medical aproaches of therapy and medicine. Obviously, everyone must improve their emuna, and this is especially true for people facing unique challanges, but just as one would not tell someone who is in a wheel chair to just "change their attitude and get up and walk," so too it is equally illogical to tell a person who is suffering from panic attacks to "change thier attitude." People with panic attacks allready have the right attitude. They want to get better and controll something that is distressing and in the case of the posters here are willing to work hard at doing so. It is the people who don't understand mentall illness and think that they should just "have a positive outlook" that need to change their attitude. I hope you do not consider me rude for being so blunt. It is just that when I was depressed it bothered me so much when friends told me to just snap out of it.

I didn't know that. Also, didn't mean to jump on you so. It is just that allot of frum people think that they can deal with mental health problems through emuna and its just not true. When I was in 7th grade I literally spent all my free time reading and rereading Zelig Pliskin's book, Gateway To Happiness. I even brought it to camp. When other kids were playing ball or learning mishnayos baal peh I was reading that book. Clearly, it wasn't the answer. The answer was medicine, which really didn't exist then. This was in the early 80's. prozak, which revolutionised the world of medicine wasn't released untill 1988. And therapy.My parents sent me to a therapist who was a waste of time. Frum people need to realise that seforim don't cure mentall health except in rare cases. They only act to support ones recovery. But therapy and meds are the main thing. I hated it years back when people told me my depression was my yetzer hara.Wishhing you a good Shabbos.

HII WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR KIND WORDS AND ADVICE . I AGREE WITH YOU ABOUT READING A BOOK ABOUT EMUNAH WILL NOT SOLVE MY PHYSICAL PANIC ATTACK PROBLEMS. ALTHOUGH IT MAY HELP ME DEAL WITH MY INNER FEARS THAT PARHAPD THATS WHAT TRIGGERS MY PANIC ATTACK.I BELIEVE THAT MY PANIC ATTACKS REALY COMES FROM MANY YEARS OF KEEPING MY FEELINGS INSIDE AND NOT TALKING TO ANYONE ABOUT MY STRESS. I AM THE TYPE OF PERSON WHO TRIES TO DEAL WITH MY PROBLEMS ALONE AND AFRAID TO ASK ADVICE . BARUCH HASHEM I AM HAPPILY MARRIED WITH 5 BEAUTIFUL KIDS BUT WE WENT THROUGH ALOT OF CHALENGES IN THE 18 YEARS THAT WE R MARRIED AND I BASICLY DEALT WITH ALL OUR PROBLEMS ALONE AND PUSHED AWAY ANYONE WHO WANTED TO HELP. I THINK WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME NOW IS LIKE A BOTTLE OF SODA THAT HAS BEEN SHAKEN AND WHEN YOU OPEN IT IT ALL BURSTS OUT. I THINK THAT NOW IN THE PAST 3 YEARS I STARTED LETTING MY FEELINGS SHOW AND IT IS COMING OUT SLOWLY LIKE THE GAS FROM A SODA BOTTLE AND IT IS COMING OUT THROUGH PANIC ATTACKS. AS FAR AS HAVING EMUNAH YES I SHOULD BE STRONGER AND LIKE MY DEAR HUSBAND ALWAYS SAYS TO ME WHY DONT YOU LET HASHEM DO HIS JOB, HAVE EMUNAH AND THINGS WILL WORK OUT. I KNOW THAT WHEN I LEARN TO DEAL BETTER WITH LIVE AND STRESS I WILL BEABLE TO CONTROL MY PANIC ATTACKS. AND I HOPE TO DO SO WITHOUT MEDICATION. RIGHT NOW WHEN I GET A PANIC ATTACK DAY I TAKE XANAX WICH MY DOC PRESCRIBED ME IT HELPS ME DEAL WITH THE PANIC DAY ONLY MAKES ME DROWSY WICH I DONT LIKE. , I WONDER IF ANYONE OF YOU TOOK THIS MEDICAITION BEFORE AND WHAT DO YOU THINK OF IT.

I have been taking xanax. But only when I was overwhelmed and feared that otherwise I would lose control and have a full-blown attack. I take a very low dose .25mg. When things get real bad I do take .50mg, and guess what It does make you sleepy.(and sometimes sleep is VERY good. You wake up with a different attitude.)

During the worst time when I was constantly feeling anxiety on a regular basis my doctor prescribed xanex too. I took it aroung the clock (every 4 hours) at a low dose for a few months until I was able to get under control. The doctor prescribed .50 and told me I could take less depending on my reaction. That dose made me feel like a zombie so I took .25 or sometimes even half of that. I'm not even sure if such a low dose (the half of .25) made a difference chemically, but psychologically it helped me gain control.Are you seeing a psychologist or a social worker? If you have realized that alot of your anxiety comes from bottled up emotions, don't rely soley on Hashem to cure you. He has equipped you with resources to make a change. It definetly takes time for therapy to help, but you might find that the combination of therapy and medication will help you overcome your anxiety, and maybe even eventually you will make a positive change and learn to express yourself.

The information in this site is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. FrumSupport disclaims any liability for the decisions you, the User, makes based on information on this site. By using this site, reading, viewing, posting or otherwise, you signify your assent to the Terms and Conditions of Use. If you do not agree to all these Terms and Conditions of Use, please do not use this site. FrumSupport may revise and update these Terms and Conditions of Use at anytime. Your continued usage of FrumSupport will mean you accept those changes.

If you think you or someone you know has a medical emergency, call your doctor, Hatzolah or 911 immediately. FrumSupport cannot and does not monitor forums and postings and cannot and will not pro-actively obtain help for users in need as FrumSupport does not have the funds or people power to accomplish such tasks and it will infringe on the anonymity of each user. Therefore, FrumSupport’s liability is limited by this paragraph and as further set forth in the Terms and Conditions of Use.